A Different Journey
by ThinkingSpeck
Summary: Neville and Luna meet on the Hogwarts Express on their way to Neville's second year and Luna's first, and they turn out to be exactly what each other needed. First two chapters originally written for firethecanon's Quidditch competition.
1. Chapter One: A Different Journey

**A/N:** Chapters 1 and 2 of this story were originally written as separate one-shots for firethecanon's Quidditch competition. Artificial constraints really are very helpful creative aids sometimes, and I am grateful.

**A Different Journey**

* * *

"You can't live your life for other people. You've got to do what's right for you, even if it hurts some people you love."

Neville Longbottom stared at this strange new first-year with the dirty-blond hair, gradually realising that she really was talking to him - apart from anything else, there was no one else in the doorway. His mouth dropped open a little. She continued, as she walked into his compartment and casually shut the door behind her.

"You're a great man really, deep down inside, but you can't see it yet because you're still too terrified of disappointing your Gran. It's funny really, that's the only reason she doesn't realise who you are. Once she does realise, she'll never feel that way about you again."

With an obvious effort, Neville finally managed to speak. "Um... Not to be, uh... Not to be rude, but, um, who _are_ you?"

A sudden smile lit up her face as she sat down opposite him and leaned forward, and Neville was struck for the first time by her strange beauty. He stared helplessly into her eyes as she answered.

"Oh, I'm just Luna. Luna Lovegood. I expect they'll make up some beastly nickname for me soon enough, maybe even that poor tired old "Loony" thing again, but you seem nice - I think I'd be much happier if you just called me Luna, at least until you find some pet name that we both like better."

"Uh... Pet name? Um... OK. I think I'll just call you Luna for now, if you don't mind - I don't really know any pet names. Honestly, I'm not even sure quite what a pet name is."

She smiled serenely. "Don't worry Neville, it will all come in time. Trust me."

He shook his head slowly in wonder. "I've no idea why, but I think I do. Trust you, I mean."

She reached out and took both of his hands. "That's nice. I trust you too, Neville Longbottom - that's why I'm here. I could never tell Daddy about this, it'd break his heart, but I know that not everyone at Hogwarts will like me. I do so need a real friend, and you're the solidest friend on this whole train. I checked."

It occurred to Neville that he should probably be feeling uncomfortable at this point, he really should, but he just couldn't manage it. First year had been a lonely year for Neville, and he wasn't about to turn down a sincere offer of friendship. Besides, he felt oddly drawn to this strange creature who now held his hands in hers - he felt a powerful urge to hold her and protect her. He was barely twelve years old, and therefore in several important regards he was most definitely not yet a man no matter what Luna said, but in later years he would recognise this moment as his first introduction to the protective instincts of a full-grown man. Right now, he dimly realised that he would fight anyone and anything to protect this girl. No matter that he had meekly endured his classmates' cruelty towards him in his own first year - no one would hurt Luna Lovegood. What he had not dared do for himself, he would do for her. They sat in silence for a time, each lost in thought.

* * *

A quarter-hour later the compartment door slammed open, and Draco Malfoy stuck his head in.

"Hey Longbottom," he sneered, "guess what I learned over the holidays! I'll give you a hint..."

He raised his wand theatrically, and his voice dropped to a mocking whisper. "_Crucio!_"

An hour earlier, Neville might have crumpled. Now he was merely angry, and only Luna's hand on his knee prevented him from standing up and punching Malfoy. Instead he looked steadily at Malfoy, finally brave enough to face him down - the little bully couldn't be allowed to notice Luna. And so, for the first time in his life, Neville Longbottom spoke back to Draco Malfoy.

"There is nothing good in you, Malfoy, nothing at all. Get out."

Draco stared at Neville, disoriented by the boy's newfound confidence. Then, with a contemptuous shrug, he turned to the compartment's other occupant.

"Ooh, the loony Lovegood girl? My father's told all about you. Longbottom, I thought even you had better taste than this."

Luna's hand dropped away from Neville's knee, and the scion of Longbottom finally stood. Taking a step towards the door, he found he was actually quite a bit bigger than Malfoy, and Crabbe and Goyle were still stuck outside in the corridor. Clearing his throat, Neville looked down into Draco's face.

"Listen carefully, Malfoy - I'll only say this once. Luna Lovegood is under my protection. I won't let you hurt her - not now, not ever. Understand?"

Malfoy sneered. "Why'd you want to protect a loony, Longbottom? Do you fancy her?"

Neville was moving before Malfoy even finished speaking. He wasn't a trained fighter, but neither was Malfoy, and he _was_ bigger than the blond bully. He was too close for a proper punch, so instead he hit Malfoy's cheek as hard as he could with his forearm and elbow. Malfoy staggered backwards into the corridor, where Crabbe and Goyle caught him as Neville quickly slammed and locked the door. As the three Slytherins began to regroup, Neville stepped backwards away from the door and pulled out his wand.

"_Colloportus,_" he said calmly, and there was a squelching sound as the spell worked for him for the first time ever.

* * *

After the Slytherins had given up and gone away, Neville and Luna sat together in blissful peace and quiet. Neither of them felt much need to talk, although they did hold hands almost the entire trip. Neville knew that he'd be in trouble at Hogwarts for what he'd done, but somehow the thought didn't bother him as it would once have done. He felt remarkably content as he shared silence with his first real friend.

Luna broke the silence as the train began to slow down near Hogsmeade.

"The marks humans leave are too often scars."

Gazing into her peaceful blue eyes, Neville smiled softly. "I suppose we'll have to see what we can do about that."


	2. Chapter Two: Uncomfortable Insight

**A/N:** This chapter was originally a separate story written for firethecanon's Quidditch competition. The prompt was Filius Flitwick in an awkward/uncomfortable situation, and Luna Lovegood seemed like the ideal cause of that.

I'm now folding this into A Different Journey, with an eye to extending it significantly if I can figure out an overarching plot that doesn't suck. Not going to just wing it again like I did for Harry's Loophole (where it worked), and Depart Azkaban and Exceeding Expectations (where it didn't).

**A/N 11/Sep/16:** Chapter revised per feedback from Runecutter and Visitkarte – thanks, guys! Also I've decided that I will go ahead and finish this story. I've written the third chapter, and I'll probably start posting (on my usual monthly schedule) sometime in the next month. Would be the first of October, but that might be difficult since I'm getting married that day.

* * *

**Chapter Two: Uncomfortable Insight**

Luna Lovegood was very early to her first-ever class at Hogwarts, Charms with Professor Flitwick. She rather had to be, really - Neville had escorted her here from breakfast, and he still had to get to his own class on time. She privately thought Neville was being overly cautious - she was nearly quarter of an hour early - but she wasn't about to argue with his determination to never be late to any class no matter what. Plus he had Transfiguration first, and Luna had already marked Professor McGonagall as someone to treat very cautiously. Anyway, she was here now, and happy enough for the chance to meet Professor Flitwick privately. He was already present, going over his lesson plan. He looked up as she entered the classroom.

"Good morning, Miss Lovegood."

She smiled dreamily.  
"Good morning, Professor Flitwick."

"You're remarkably early. Was there anything you wanted to ask me?"

She paused.  
"Well, now that you ask... I've heard rather a lot about you in the short time I've been here, and I did wonder just how much of it was true. Could I ask you a few questions?"

Now it was Flitwick's turn to pause, staring intently at this strange child before him. Then he shrugged slightly in resignation, and nodded.  
"Go ahead, Miss Lovegood."

She paused a moment to collect her thoughts, then turned a worryingly intense gaze on him. "Former duelling champion?"

He nodded. "True."

She smiled. "Part-Goblin?"

He winced. "Does it matter?"

She looked surprised. "Of course it matters! I'm human, female, magical, intelligent, odd, ... All these things are a part of who I am, just like Goblin heritage or no Goblin heritage is a part of who you are. I want to understand you, Professor, I want to understand everything, and a large part of who you are is how you became you."

Flitwick leaned on his desk, staring at her once more. "Can you explain to me, Miss Lovegood, precisely why you are not currently a member of my House?"

Luna beamed. "Oh, the Sorting Hat did want to put me in Ravenclaw at first - I'm afraid I had to be quite firm with it. But Professor, I'm intelligent and curious no matter what House I'm in - I don't need Ravenclaw for that, or to help me to learn. I do need friends, though, and right now I only have one of those - his name is Neville Longbottom, and he's in Gryffindor. I'll learn much more as a happy Gryffindor than I ever could as a lonely Ravenclaw."

Flitwick winced at that.  
"I doubt you'd have been lonely for long in Ravenclaw, Luna - intellects like yours are valued there."

She favoured him with a look of wide-eyed innocence.  
"Really, Professor? But Daddy says he found Ravenclaw rather an unfriendly place for those with odd ideas, and that would certainly include me. I know I only arrived here yesterday, but I'm afraid your House smells rather bleak to me so far. Maybe it will warm up, though."

The tiny professor winced again.  
"Perhaps I should take a closer look at the social dynamics of my House, to make sure it really does work the way I thought it did."

The small girl smiled serenely.  
"That might be a good idea, yes."

Before Flitwick could make any reply to that pronouncement, the door opened once more and the other first-years began filing in for their first class. Flitwick consciously shifted the conversation aside in his mind for later consideration, and with some effort managed to fix his attention upon the lesson he was to teach.

* * *

To the astonishment of everyone in the room except for Flitwick and the girl herself, Luna performed brilliantly at Charms right from the beginning. Flitwick began with a simple Levitation charm, demonstrating it twice before he asked the class to try it. Having watched his demonstrations avidly, Luna proceeded to cast the spell successfully on her very first attempt. On that first attempt, everything she did was a perfect copy of what Flitwick had just done. On the second attempt, her casting was noticeably different - this was more her own natural style, and it showed in the ease with which she cast and in the precision with which she controlled the chalk. Completely focused on what she was doing, she was moving the chalk to the board before she even noticed Professor Flitwick's congratulations.

"Well done, Miss Lovegood, exceptionally well done! I've never seen anyone master that first charm so quickly, and I've seen some Charms prodigies in my time. Lily Evans, my old schoolmate Albus Dumbledore, and of course myself. May I ask, Miss Lovegood, if there is any particular secret to your success?"

Luna smiled innocently.  
"I knew you could do it, so at first I just did exactly what I'd just seen you do. I thought that must work, and I was right. Then I knew how it worked, so I could do it in a more comfortable way and start playing with it."

Professor Flitwick continued to stare at this unreasonably insightful child.  
"Excellent. Ten points to Gryffindor for your exceptional spellwork, and another ten for your insight into magic."

Luna smiled but said nothing, as she returned to her study of the Levitation charm.

Some time later, she overheard Flitwick gently chiding a fellow first-year Gryffindor whom she didn't know.

"Come now," he said kindly, "I can see the magic quite clearly in you. You most certainly can cast this spell."

Luna glanced across and raised her voice a little.  
"Professor, surely you of all people understand about being afraid to show power?"

Flitwick twitched a little, and turned to face this ethereal child of whom he was rapidly becoming quite nervous.  
"What do you mean by that, Miss Lovegood?"

Luna smiled serenely, but said nothing.

After a pause in which he continued to stare at her, she shrugged and answered him.  
"I mean look at yourself, sir. Part-goblin, and grew up and attended Hogwarts in a time when relations were even worse than they are today. Former international duelling champion, and powerful warrior for the Light in the last war. Youngest Charms master at Hogwarts in quite a long time, and now the longest-serving one ever. Inventor of numerous spells, and those are just the ones you've chosen to make public. You're a highly formidable wizard, Professor, and yet your persona is just a cheery and thoroughly unthreatening little jester. I've never met anyone else who worked so hard or so successfully at being unthreatening."

Professor Filius Flitwick, highly experienced and extremely competent Charms Master, floundered helplessly in the face of this extraordinary analysis. For all his towering intellect and encyclopaedic knowledge of his subject, he could not think of a single thing to say in response.

Eventually Professor Flitwick moved on to another student, still without saying a word in response to Luna, and also without saying anything further to the boy whom he'd been trying to help. Behind the puffy white beard, his face was still tinged with red.


End file.
